Seamus emptied the bucket he\u2019d been using to wash his hands and refilled it. He deposited it in front of Cameron. \u201cWash your hands,\u201d he said, his voice gruff. He carefully avoided eye contact and turned away as Cameron looked up. The former pilot\u2019s expression was bleak, pain clearly visible in his eyes.<\/p>\n
I reached down and squeezed his shoulder, suppressing a sigh. \u201cListen to him,\u201d I said quietly. \u201cStaring at the blood isn\u2019t going to make anything better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cameron winced and nodded, plunging his hands into the bucket. Neve made eye contact with me and mouthed a silent thank you<\/em>. I nodded slightly and crossed my arms, chewing the inside of my lower lip and trying to think.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re sure it was just one?\u201d I asked finally, looking at Phelan. \u201cThere aren\u2019t going to be any more?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was mildly surprised there was this one,\u201d he answered. \u201cI wish I had a definitive answer to the question, but I\u2019m hoping we won\u2019t have to deal with that again\u2014and I\u2019m hoping the one we just killed didn\u2019t have any offspring because otherwise I\u2019d have start worrying.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d all have to start worrying,\u201d Thom said, sliding an arm around my shoulders. \u201cMatt, Marin, Sif, and I all had pieces of that kill, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Phelan grimaced and nodded. \u201cRight on that. Either way, we\u2019ll have to hope that another one\u2019s not coming. I can\u2019t imagine there would be. Lindworms, in my experience, are fairly rare.\u201d<\/p>\n Seamus snorted. \u201cI believe fairly<\/em> is an understatement.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIncredibly rare is probably more accurate,\u201d Neve said, looking up at Thom and I. \u201cWe\u2019ll probably be fine. Probably never have to face one again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a lot of probably going on there,\u201d Cameron said, staring at the water. \u201cHow about something we\u2019re sure about?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re still riding out in a few days,\u201d Thom said. \u201cHow\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n Cameron jerked upright. \u201cWho says?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do,\u201d Thom said. \u201cYou guys were right. We need allies and to build a trade network with other settlements if we can. As long as the weather holds, we\u2019ll ride out. We can\u2019t afford to wait.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked up at him. \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n He nodded. \u201cI\u2019m sure. The only question mark now is who\u2019s going to come with us and who\u2019s going to stay here and make sure you\u2019re safe.\u201d<\/p>\n I smiled wryly. \u201cBecause we\u2019re wholly incapable of taking care of ourselves.\u201d I kissed his cheek. \u201cYour protective streak is adorable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRemember that the next time we\u2019re having a shouting match because I want you safe,\u201d Thom said, smiling fondly back at me. His thumb brushed against my cheek. \u201cBecause at the end of the day, that\u2019s the only thing I want.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d I whispered before I kissed him again.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Seamus emptied the bucket he\u2019d been using to wash his hands and refilled it. He deposited it in front of Cameron. \u201cWash your hands,\u201d he said, his voice gruff. He carefully avoided eye contact and turned away as Cameron looked … Continue reading